Inkjet printers discharge ink droplets from a nozzle plate to form an image on a recording medium. In order to prevent ink and the like adhering to the nozzle plate, the nozzle plate is usually coated with a ink-repellent cured film formed from a fluororesin or the like, but the adhesion of dust and foreign matter and the like cannot be totally prevented. Accordingly, the nozzle plate is usually subjected to cleaning periodically. The most commonly employed cleaning method is a method in which the nozzle plate is wiped with a blade.
However, when wiping is performed, abrasion of the cured film occurs, causing a deterioration in the ink repellency and generating ink discharge problems. One method which has been proposed to address these problems is a method that employs a non-contact mode in which the blade does not contact the nozzle plate (Patent Document 1).
On the other hand, methods for improving the durability of the cured film on the nozzle plate have also been proposed. For example, a cured film formed from liquid-repellent particles containing fluorine atoms and silicon atoms (Patent Document 2), and a cured film formed from a base film containing silicon and a fluorine-containing silane coupling agent formed on top of the base film (Patent Document 3) have been proposed. Further, silicone-based cured films which exhibit excellent ink repellency and wiping resistance are also known (Patent Document 4).
Patent Document 1: JP 2007-190818 A
Patent Document 2: JP 2006-82362 A
Patent Document 3: JP 2006-289838 A
Patent Document 4: WO 2011/077996
However, as inks are improved in terms of image density and the like, the use of materials which adhere more readily to the nozzle plate than conventional inks is sometimes unavoidable, and therefore further improvements in the ink repellency of the nozzle plate are required. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle plate which exhibits excellent ink repellency and excellent durability to wiping (hereafter referred to as “wiping resistance”), even when used with an ink that adheres readily to the nozzle plate.